Grave marker



Oct. 19, 1943. J, HARNER 2,332,217

GRAVE MARKER Filed April 23, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jase A PHavner' Oct.19, 1943. P, HARNR 2,332,217

GRAVE MARKER Filed April 23, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Via 3m J li J, Harner,

,35! IT I Q a Patented Oct. 19, 1943 Joseph -P. Harner, Nevada,

. F. Norman Sheet Metal Mfg. 60., Nevada,

Mm, assignor to The application =Api'il' 23, 1943;sena1-No, 484,269 4Claims. 01. 40-1245) The object of my invention 'is to provide a novelgrave marker for which' the amount of 'metal required' is reduced toaminimuin on account of the present shortage of metals for uses otherthan war purposes. M

It is also an object of my invention to provide a grave marker havingnovel means for securing and holding the marker card in the frame andunder glass where it will be protected from the weather, whether made ofmetal, or wood, or plastic.

It is also my object to provide an eificient and easily operated devicefor this purpose.

I attain these and other objects of my invention by the meansillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a frontelevation of my invention, a portion of the support being broken away tosave space;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one form of the trigger or springcatch;

Fig. 5 is an edge elevation of a modified form of the invention in whichthe card case is mounted at an angle to the post;

Fig. 6 is a front plan view of another modification of the invention inwhich the past is provided with a slot into which a cross may beinserted for ornamental purposes; and

Fig. '7 is an edge elevation of the form of the invention shown in Fig.6. I

Like numerals designate like parts in each of the several views.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I provide a pointed post orsupport I to which a preferably wooden back 2 is secured by suitablemeans as by the nails 3, or by welding or otherwise if a metal back andpost are used. On the top and side frame strips 4 and on the recessedportion at the lower ends of the side strips 4 is nailed a bottom framemember 4a, leaving an opening 5 across the bottom of the frame to permitof insertion of the glass or equivalent transparent element 6 and gravemarker card i, as shown in Fig. 2.

In the central portion of the plastic or wooden back 2 I provide arecess 8 beginning about the central portion of the back and increasingin depth to the lower end of the wooden back 2, as shown in Fig. 2.

The spring metal catch 9 has its upper end inturned and inserted in aeoirespo aing I ble means, as by weldingf'if a in the wooden back labove the "upperfend of the recess andis'also fastened to the wooden.back by a suitable hail F2 through the opening H in the trigger'orspring catch 9, or may "be fastened by {an I thr sneametal back isused. At the lower end of the spring catch, two like outwardly turnedprongs or projecting folds or equivalent elements l3 of sufficientlength to engage under the lower edge of the glass 5 and marker card 1when they are in place in the frame, are provided. The metal catch alsohas opposite spaced upper prongs or projecting folds M which are shorterthan the lower prongs l3 and which press against the back of the markercard 1 to hold it and the glass snugly in place in the frame 4 and 4a,as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The prongs or folds l3 and I4 are preferablyformed integral with the body of the catch 9, as shown.

In use, the spring catch which projects a little at the bottom of theframe, as shown in Fig. 1, is pressed downwardly into the recess 8,thereby permitting of insertion of the marker card I and over it theglass 6, after which the spring catch is released and its prongs orprojecting folds l3 engage under the glass and its prongs I4 pressagainst the back of the marker card, as shown in Fig. 2. The top andsides of the frame extend to the rear of the frame back 2, as shown inFigs. 2 and 3 and the only opening is at the bottom of the frame at 5whereby the marker is substantially waterproof, as there is an openspace only at the bottom of the frame and the sides and top of the framecompletely enclose the glass and marker card, as shown, as the card andglass are inserted from the bottom.

Referring to Fig. 5 there is illustrated a modification of my inventionin which the side strips 4 is affixed to the beveled upper end Ia of thepost I so that the data contained in the card case may be read withoutstooping over. The structure of the card case is otherwise as heretoforedescribed.

Referring to Figs. 6, 7, there is illustrated another modification of myinvention in which the post I is provided with a slot l6 at its upperend to receive the reduced lower end I! of a cross 15. A nail or tack l8may be inserted, as shown in Fig. '7 to more securely fasten the lowerend I! of the cross IS in place in the slot l6 of post I. The cross I5is preferably of non-metallic material.

recess The support, back and frame members of the device are preferablymade of wood or other non-metallic material at the present time, onlythe spring catch 9 and nails 3 and I2 being of metal, which is importantunder war conditions Where there is a scarcity of metal for general usein its manufacture, but metal may be used at a future date when itbecomes available for general use.

What I claim is:

1. A grave marker consisting of a pointed support, Wooden back, top andside frame mem bers secured to the Wooden back a relativelynarrow framestrip secured in recesses at the bottom of the sides of the frame andleaving an opening at the bottom of the frame, a glass, a marker cardinsertible through said opening, and a spring catch secured to the backand having prongs engaging the bottom of the glass and the back ofthemarker card to hold them securely but releasably in place in the device.

x2. A grave marker consisting of a pointed non-metallic support,non-metallic back, nonmetallic top and side members secured to thenon-metallic back, a relatively narrow frame strip secured in'recessesat the bottom of the sides of the frame, a glass, a marker cardinsertible through said opening, and a spring catch secured to the backand having prongs engaging the bottom of the glass and the back of themarker card to hold them securely but releasably in place in the device.

3. In a grave marker, the combination of a post, a back secured to thepost, top and side frame members secured to the top and side edges ofthe back to provide a frame to protect the marker card from the weatherat the top and sides, a thin bottom frame member having its ends securedto the side frame members said bottom member being spaced from the backto leave an opening, a glass insertible in the frame through saidopening, a marker card insertible through said opening and under theglass, a spring catch having its upper end secured to the back, andhaving its lower end in spring contact with and shaped to support theglass and marker card in the frame.

4. In combination with the device defined in claim 3, the aforesaid backhaving a recess increasing in depth toward the bottom edge portion ofthe back and adapted to allow the spring catch to be pushed to aretracted position against the back.

JOSEPH P. HARNER.

